Virgin angry at agent incentives
Virgin Atlantic has flexed its legal muscles in the ongoing dispute over British Airways' alleged use of agent incentives.
Virgin said it was prepared to start legal action against BA should it find new evidence that its rival was rewarding agents for ticket growth.
BA would not confirm reports alleging it had begun the controversial incentives again, in violation of an EC anti-trust ruling made in 1999.
"We are watching and know the regulators are aware of BA's behaviour," a spokesperson for Virgin said.
"The original court ruling is still right and should still stand. If necessary we will find evidence and mount a fresh complaint."
A spokesperson for BA denied any wrong doings.
"The contracts that we have with our agents are confidential and commercially sensitive so we will not discuss the details of them," said a spokesperson.
"We are confident that all aspects of them comply with competition law."
Virgin said BA had abused "its dominant position in the market place" at the time of the original EU ruling.
But BA denied claims it was the dominant carrier on routes between the Europe and the US. It said such routes have been "highly competitive for many years."
BA's spokesperson added: "The Open Skies agreement has further increased competition between routes between Europe and the US, which are amongst the most competitive in the world.
"No single carrier or airline alliance dominates those markets."
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